Targeting the 27 percent of U.S. households that aren't yet online, America Online will offer a low-priced hardware, software and Internet service package beginning next week. AOL's "Optimized PC" bundle includes a computer, 17-inch monitor and printer for approximately $300, plus 12 months of service from the ISP at $23.90 per month.

Microsoft is holding a summit with members of the Email Service Provider Coalition to address the use of Sender ID technology as a standard to fight spam and phishing.

Washington's attorney general agreed to a settlement with a Redmond, WA, search engine optimization firm it accuses of not delivering promised top search results to customers.

Advertisers buy people, not ads, so measurable impressions count more than ad impressions.

The Federal Trade Commission will publish a Federal Register Notice on Friday, August 13, 2004, seeking public comment on proposed rules regarding commercial electronic mail messages. The CAN-SPAM Act, which took effect January 1, 2004, requires that the Commission issue regulations "defining the relevant criteria to facilitate the determination of the primary purpose of an electronic mail message." In this Federal Register Notice, the FTC introduces proposed criteria to facilitate the determination of when an e-mail message has a commercial primary purpose, and seeks comments in response to this proposal.

Former AOL chairman Steve Case has been ordered to appear in court over accusations he was deliberately dishonest about the ISP's ad revenues before its merger with entertainment giant Time Warner.

In the first test of Yahoo's e-mail authentication technology, e-mail system provider Sendmail found the cryptographic system would cost less to deploy than some have thought.

The decision by adware leader Claria to postpone its initial public offering comes as the fast-growing business of advertising-supported software is increasingly coming under pressure.

The Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) today announced the launch of a major advertising campaign.

An interview with Google's co-founders in Playboy may cast yet another shadow on the search star's anticipated initial public offering.